Onora
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially from Latin meaning "honor".
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Onora. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Onora today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Onora births was 2020 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Onora. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Onora. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
2020
12 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,046
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Onora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Onora from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 52 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Onora remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Onora by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Onora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Onora
The name Onora has its roots in the Latin language and is derived from the word "honor," which means respect or esteem. It first emerged during the Roman Empire era, around the 1st century AD, as a feminine form of the masculine name Honorius.
In ancient Rome, the concept of honor was deeply revered, and names carrying this meaning were often bestowed upon children as a symbol of virtue and integrity. The name Onora was particularly popular among the upper classes and aristocratic families who valued honor as a cornerstone of their societal standing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Onora can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, who mentioned a woman named Onora Claudia in his account of the reign of Emperor Nero in the 1st century AD.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Onora maintained its presence, albeit in a more localized fashion. It was particularly prevalent in parts of Italy, where it was often spelled as Onoria or Honoria, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the region.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Onora di Monferrato, an Italian noblewoman and Queen consort of Portugal, played a significant role in the history of the Iberian Peninsula. Her marriage to King Afonso I of Portugal helped strengthen diplomatic ties between the two regions.
During the Renaissance period, the name Onora experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the intellectual and artistic circles of Italy. One of the most renowned individuals bearing this name was Onora Baldi, a 16th-century Italian poet and scholar whose works were widely celebrated for their eloquence and wisdom.
In the 17th century, Onora Massimo, an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, was renowned for her patronage of artists and her influential role in the cultural circles of Rome. Her support for the arts helped nurture the talents of many painters, sculptors, and architects during the Baroque era.
Moving into the 18th century, Onora O'Neill, an Irish philosopher and writer, made her mark as a prominent figure in the field of ethics and moral philosophy. Her works, such as "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," explored themes of gender equality and social justice, making her a pioneer in feminist thought.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have carried the name Onora throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and intellectual heritage associated with this name.
People
Onora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Onora as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Onora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Onora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Onora going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Onora a common name?
We classify Onora as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Onora most popular?
The single biggest year for Onora was 2020, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Onora is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Onora a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Onora in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.